Appealing to the consumer in today’s ‘ready meal’ market is an increasing challenge for any manufacturer in the food sector – today’s non-stop lifestyles are fuelling a highly competitive growth market with many players. A market leader in France, Fleury Michon, is able to keep ahead of the followers by its continually innovative approach to its business and manufacturing processes.
With operations across seven sites in France, three in the Vendee region, Fleury Michon employs in total 3,193 people producing fresh prepared meals, frozen meals and, as the number one producer in France, pork products including ham and sausages. It has a clear technological leadership in producing ‘35 days’ fresh meals as well as producing very fresh ‘8 days’ products.
Along with successful initiatives, including twenty years of collaboration with top chef Joël Robuchon, Fleury Michon has developed innovative manufacturing processes to help maintain its lead. Along with a consistent objective to enhance working conditions, these innovative processes have also driven the implementation of automation at several sites.
TEN ROBOT SYSTEMS ARE NOW OPERATING AT FLEURY MICHON SITES ALL USING FANUC ROBOTICS PRODUCTS. “WE INSTALLED OUR FIRST ROBOTS IN 2003 ON END OF LINE PALLETISING APPLICATIONS,” EXPLAINS LAURENT MAILLY, FLEURY MICHON’S PACKAGING AND PROCESS EQUIPMENT DEVELOPMENT MANAGER, “OUR PHILOSOPHY THEN, AS IT NOW, WAS TO KEEP APPLICATIONS SIMPLE. THE FIRST SYSTEMS WERE IMPLEMENTED SUCCESSFULLY AND THE EMPLOYEES BECAME CONFIDENT WITH THEIR CAPABILITY.”
More complex systems are now under way at Fleury Michon but the emphasis is strictly to use robots only where they are justified. Laurent explains, “We don’t do ‘robotisation’ – we implement mechanisation – this means that although we don’t see robots as the panacea to all problems, we do see them as the solution to many applications that were previously solved by specially designed and dedicated equipment.
“This approach allows us far more flexibility – our previous systems were dedicated to one size of product and to one operation. We now have the opportunity to programme robots for more than one product and if necessary for a completely different operation.”
More robots will be integrated into Fleury Michon’s production and, as Laurent explains its still an open book, “We use FANUC Robotics currently throughout the company but that is on the basis that their products and services continue to fulfil our needs. The original decision to buy FANUC was made after an in depth survey of all suppliers. FANUC Robotics had the widest range to offer and we were impressed by its technical support. Commercially we have developed a strong relationship with FANUC; an essential element to continuing effective support.
A food technology innovation developed by Fleury Michon requires that individually packaged items undergo a thermal process before being packaged into cartons. Three FANUC M410iB robots are involved in the installation avoiding a potential bottle neck in production output.
Robot one handles a tray which has been collated with individual packages, total weight 37 kgs, and places the tray onto a stack. Two stacking areas are managed by the robot which continues loading trays onto the stack until it is ready to be conveyed to a collection point. Complete stacks of trays are removed manually and taken into the processing area.
Robot two takes trays from complete stacks and positions them into a picking area where they are re-loaded onto the carton packing line. An additional FANUC M410iB is positioned between the two robot installations. This third robot is able to support either of the other two robots in cases of maintenance or increased production demands.
“The implementation of robots into Fleury Michon has been a success,” continues Laurent. “They have helped us to meet our production objectives and in particular our need to continually try to improve working conditions for Fleury Michon’s employees. We have a loyal workforce which is essential for us to maintain our very high quality levels”.
Finally when questioned if the robot installations have given a strong return on investment (ROI), Laurent concludes, “I wouldn’t single out a return on the robots alone – they are part of a much wider investment related to producing our products to a high standard, competitively and to produce what the end customer wants. Will we continue to invest in robots? Yes without any doubt – wherever they can be used to help us maintain our innovative approach and of course our market leadership.”
“The implementation of robots into Fleury Michon has been a success. They have helped us to meet our production objectives and in particular our need to continually try to improve working conditions for Fleury Michon’s employees. We have a loyal workforce which is essential for us to maintain our very high quality levels.”